


The Opposite of a Problem

by MaelConnor



Category: Henry Danger (TV)
Genre: Comedy, Eventual Romance, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:46:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27514039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaelConnor/pseuds/MaelConnor
Summary: It isn’t long before Henry realizes there’s something going on. Something... different. Well, something other than the fact that he and Charlotte are now in an opposite universe and therefore everything there is, indeed, different than in his own universe.The other weird thing going on is that this universe’s Henry and Ray are dating.
Relationships: Henry Hart/Ray Manchester
Comments: 27
Kudos: 138





	The Opposite of a Problem

**Author's Note:**

> There's no explicit content ahead, but warning to the show's target demographic! 
> 
> Wow, so, first time posting here! A few things you should know before reading; english isn't my first language, and this fic hasn't been beta'd, so I apologize for any mistakes in advance! Also, while this fic doesn't contain explicit content, there's some sexual talk.
> 
> I've been a fan of Henry and Ray's dynamic for a while, and I decided it was time to write a little something about them, and I came up with this! I had a blast writing this fic, not gonna lie. This fic is based on what happens in Season 2 Episode 13, only I made it happen years later!
> 
> Enjoy reading!

It isn’t long before Henry realizes there’s something going on. There’s something wrong. Something... different. Well, something other than the fact that he and Charlotte are now in an opposite universe and therefore everything there is, indeed, different than in his own universe. But, Henry thinks it’s more than that.

Sure, people who were good in his universe are evil now, and vice versa, and there’s other stuff, like everything being mirrored, or even the unusual fashion sense. These things are all different, but there’s still many similarities between this universe and Henry’s. Same people, same places, and more importantly: same relationships. 

Henry realizes his other “me” has the same relationships as himself soon enough. The opposite universe Henry is best friends with Charlotte, Schwoz is his coworker and he works for Ray, who is also Captain Man. 

When he comes to this new world, he’s freaked out, but he finds some sense of relief knowing not everything is different. This Henry has his same family, friends, and boss. And most importantly, even if the Ray of this opposite universe is evil and cynic, he seems to have a good relationship with his Henry. Or, well, at least he doesn't seem to hate or villainize him. That’s enough, for Henry, and it makes him feel a bit more relaxed to know that, even if this Ray is dangerous, he isn’t an imminent threat to him, or Charlotte, for that matter.

But then, Henry notices… Odd behaviors. 

At first it’s nothing too weird. When he just met him, and quite honestly, acted a bit suspiciously, Ray got very close to him, and grabbed his neck roughly. He talked about something hair-related (Henry chuckled mentally, maybe he wasn’t so different from his Ray), so it was just a light-hearted comment. It was more the way he spoke to him. He was in his personal space, just inches away from his face, and kept groping his neck. 

And it wasn’t like his Ray wasn’t affectionate; quite the contrary, Ray was always touching and hugging him. But this Ray… He had a different aura, a different vibe. A very distinct way in which his eyes shone when he looked at him, and the way his smile widened.

At the time, Henry decided to ignore it. He had to focus on other things at the moment, like saving his opposite dimension's sister.

Later, when he ran home to save Piper, Ray appeared again, acting definitely meaner than his Ray ever would, and they started to fight. Henry had never fought Ray, not seriously anyway, but he thought that even the way this Ray fought was… Strange. He was rough, but at the same time he seemed to avoid actually hurting him. His punches were thrown slowly enough to be able to dodge them, and when they rolled on the couch, Ray didn’t use his weight to immobilize him. Henry analized all these things while fighting, even if he knew it didn't make sense to do so. 

When they got up off the floor to keep fighting, Ray bent Henry's arm awkwardly behind his back, preventing its use, and then pushed him against the wall. Ray's entire body was pressed against his, and Henry breathed in nervously. 

When Piper left them alone, Henry allowed himself to let out a pained breath. One of his arms was uncomfortably bent behind him, and the other was firmly cramped against his chest. Captain Man had both of their torsos together, and one of his legs was in between Henry’s. 

Henry knew the position wasn’t supposed to be taken “that” way, but he gulped nonetheless. Gosh, get a grip, Henry told himself. It wasn’t the time to be thinking about his stupid crush! This wasn’t even the Ray he had a crush on, and this wasn't the time to be thinking about… That. God, it hurt, it wasn’t supposed to make him feel all tingly inside!

Henry groaned, pained, and, ok, slightly embarrassed, when Ray pressed harder. He’d been talking, saying something, but stopped when he heard his moan.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, and God, he’d never heard Ray sound like that, he was concerned, and confused, and a bit worried, and sounded so soft, too soft, to be his Ray. His Ray was all jokes, loud laughs and light heartedness. 

But then the other Ray smiled, cynically, maybe even playfully, and that definitely shouldn’t have looked so much like his Ray. “Come on, you’re used to a bit rougher than that, this shouldn’t be a problem, don’t think?”

Henry wasn’t able to answer, or quite honestly, breathe, because they were so close, and Ray had never been so close to him, and he was able to see his eyes, and they were too blue, and his breath was hot and smelled like mint, and… 

God, Ray’s leg wasn’t helping at all, or his whole body pressed against him for that matter. It was getting hotter, and his stomach was getting tighter, and he couldn’t understand what the hell his Ray meant with that “rough” talk, and why he didn’t see how weird all this was. 

Henry knew he had to get away before he did something stupid.

“Hu… Hurts” he let out a ragged breath against his will, and his cheeks reddened “You’re hurting me”

Ray did move then, surprised by the admission, as if he thought they were on the same page all along. Even if he wasn’t pressed against him anymore, he was still too close for comfort, and his hands were still on him, one grabbing his arm softly, and the other gripping his shoulder.

“Oh, sorry. Thought you were playing around” he said, honestly “You’re a tough fella. Didn’t think I was hurting you bad.”

Henry shrugged his shoulders, he wasn’t as close anymore, and that was what mattered. He still wouldn’t stop touching him, though, and that was being… Difficult to ignore.

“It’s fine. Just… Took me by surprise” he said, still a bit breathless.

Ray smiled cheekily, and brought his hands to Henry’s nape, gently caressing. Then they repositioned to softly cup his face.

“Well, I would’ve thought you were used to me being all over you at this point. We kinda do this often” he grinned, and Henry didn’t have time to ask him what he was referring to, because Ray was suddenly kissing his neck.

Ok, that wasn’t normal. Henry drew in a breath, too surprised to move, while Ray pressed his lips against his collar. The kisses were being very soft, almost nonexistent, but they made Henry’s whole world turn upside down. 

“What… Ray? Ray?” his voice sounded embarrassingly small, Henry thought.

But Ray didn’t answer, and his stomach dropped and legs trembled, and the logical side of his brain tried to tell him these were just… Friend kisses, a fraternal way of showing affection, but then Ray’s hands grabbed his knee’s behinds and lifted his body up and against the wall, forcing him to grab onto his shoulders not to fall. 

Ray was being as soft as ever, and Henry didn’t know what to do, because he didn’t understand what was going on, and he didn't even know what he was supposed to think. But then Ray stopped kissing his neck to look at him, and Henry stilled.

“Ray? Dude, Ray, we need to…” he was about to say “talk”, but then Ray took his hands from under his kneecaps to hug his waist, and he lost his train of thought. 

The logical side of his brain knew this wasn’t Ray, or his Ray, for that matter, but his feelings didn't seem to be able to differentiate. It wasn’t until Ray began getting closer and Henry realized he was going to kiss him -God, a kiss, an actual kiss on the lips, like he’d been fantasizing about all this time-, that he snapped out of it. He pushed against Ray’s chest rougher than he’d intended, and fell to the ground. He stood up immediately, breathing hard and flushing, too embarrassed to even look at Ray.

“What the-” Ray said, confused “Henry? Henry, look at me. What’s wrong, kid?”

“God! What’s wrong, you ask? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! What was all that? You… You almost kissed me!” Henry said, with all the courage he was able to muster, and feeling his face burn.

“What? Why are you freaking out?” Ray looked kinda offended, but mostly surprised, which only bewildered Henry further “Yeah, well, that's what I was going to do. I was trying to kiss you. That’s what couples do”

Henry stilled, and looked up at Ray, not feeling so embarrassed anymore, but shocked. He looked serious… He wasn’t joking. Oh, God. Henry suddenly understood. The weird closeness, the looks, all this tension.

“Are we dating?” he asked. 

“What? Of course we are! We have been for the last couple of months. You told me you had a crush on me and I felt the same way” Ray explained, getting closer to Henry again, carefully this time “What’s going on? You are acting so weird, it’s almost as if you’re not…”

Henry wasn’t able to answer, at least not right away. His legs trembled, and he was filled with a ridiculous amount of jealousy and dread. 

“You’re not my Henry” Ray finally understood, and Henry nodded. After this, the least he could do was… Explain himself.

“I’m from an opposite universe. Charlotte and I came here when we were on the tubes, and I guess your Henry and Charlotte must be on our universe as well” he explained, and walked away from Ray, needing some space “God, you’re all so different here, I… I was scared to tell you. Man, we’re trying to go back, ok?”

Ray took a couple seconds to take in the information, and then he walked over to Henry again.

“Alright kid, I believe you. We… We’re all gonna find a way to return you back home, and we’ll get our Henry and Charlotte back” he said, with this particular bossy tone he sometimes used when the situation needed a leader “It’s gonna be fine.”

Henry exploded, and turned to face Ray, feeling preoccupied and angry and upset all at the same time.

“It’s not gonna be fine! You-you are...” Henry sniffed, but his eyes were dry “We… We aren’t…”

Henry didn’t know what he was trying to say, and was beginning to freak out, so Ray put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Kid, it’s ok. Try to calm down. Breathe slowly” Henry did, despite himself, and found himself feeling better “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“What is wrong, Ray” Henry’s voice trembled, but he willed himself to go on “is that in this universe, you and I -the other me- are a couple.”

“Don’t tell me…” Ray furrowed his brow, and lowered his voice “You aren’t dating me… The other Ray, in your universe?”

Henry let out a humorless laugh, and then squinted his eyes, upset.

“Dating? He would never even think about me that way. I, God. I’ve had a crush on him for such a long time, have had to stand him flirting with girls -women- his age, have had to repress my feelings… For years” Henry’s stomach dropped while he spoke, because all of this never stopped upsetting him, and saying it out loud never hurt any less (Charlotte would know, when Henry told her about how he felt about Ray, he couldn't help crying) “So, no, my Ray and I aren’t dating. We never... God, this is upsetting. It’s like a cosmic joke”

Henry knew he wouldn’t cry, he wasn’t a child anymore, sobbing because his crush wouldn’t be reciprocated. His eyes were dry, and would remain so.

“Henry…” Captain Man started, but Henry shook his head. He didn’t want to hear any of it.

“Leave it be. I just want to go home. Let’s go to the Man Cave and fix this” he saw the desire to speak further, to clear things up, in Ray's expression, but he didn't want to speak anymore “Please, Ray.”

Ray truly wanted to explain it to him, help him, do anything that could benefit him, but Henry was too upset to listen, so they proceeded to silently make their way to the Man Cave.

If Charlotte noticed something was off with Henry when they arrived, she didn’t say a word about it, which he was grateful for. They discovered the way to to go back home, and Henry was already prepared to go inside the tube when Ray came up to him again.

“Kid, I know you don’t want to talk about this, but I want to help you” he said, and Henry agreed to listen “For how long have you had a crush on me- I mean, on your Ray?”

“To… Well, to be honest, I think that ever since I met him. At first I used to think I had some type of… Hero worshipping complex kinda thing, like a flying admiration. But then puberty came and, well. It was -it is- a crush. A big one.”

Ray looked up, as if lost in thought.

“My Henry told me the same thing” Henry opened his eyes, surprised, and listened attentively “He was so sure he was going to get rejected, too. But I’d liked him for some time already. It started when he grew up, and I couldn’t see him as a little kid anymore.”

Henry wished his eyes to stay dry.

“That’s not helping me, Ray. You know that this universe is different than ours, Charlotte and I told you. Just because you feel that way doesn’t mean…”

“Just hear me out. I know myself, and if that Ray is like me, it means he will have repressed his feelings, because he feels shameful, and he feels wrong, because he met you when you were just a kid. If that Ray feels like I do, and, kid, it’s hard to imagine any version of myself who isn’t terribly in love with you… That means you have to take the first step.”

“But what if I can’t? I’ve thought about it so many times, but then things happened and I just… Whenever I was ready, he’d talk about a pretty woman, or my mom, or he’d call me a kid, or he’d say I was childish, and I…”

“Henry. I know you’re terrified of rejection. You don’t want to tell him, but you have to. If you don’t do it now, you will never do it, will wonder "what if I had said it?" forever. You have to do it, even if it’s just for your own sake. You deserve to get that weight off your shoulders. And if he doesn’t want you? That’s on him. He’d be an idiot to lose you.”

Henry was feeling dizzy, everything was being really hard to accept, and yet he knew this Ray was right. It was just… He was so scared. Scared that it would ruin their friendship, the whole superhero dynamic… He was terrified.

So he told him so.

“Don’t be” the opposite dimension Ray told him “You’re a superhero. You’re strong, courageous, and good. Fear is not an option"

Henry felt lighter, somehow better, now that he had support. He was able to smile at the other Ray one last time before the tube went up, and Charlotte and him traveled all the way to their own universe.

They got out of the tubes cautiously and slowly, and were met with their Ray and Schwoz, who looked intrigued and nervous. After Henry shared eye contact with the two, he turned to face Charlotte, who was looking at him with a relievieved expression. He hugged her, glad to be back, and for the two of them to be ok.

“We made it, Char” Henry said.

“Not yet. Not completely, anyways” Charlotte whispered in his ear, and even though Henry understood what she meant, he couldn't show any emotion when the guys came up to them.

Ray’s hug made Henry feel both relieved and upset, he couldn’t avoid thinking about why he couldn't have what the other him had, and went rigid when thinking about it. He patted Ray’s back, instead of actually returning the hug, and even though he’d done that to avoid getting sadder by his affection, he still remembered the other Ray, who had kissed his neck and caught him in his arms and… Damn. 

His Ray was looking at him weird. 

“You should’ve seen the opposite universe, dude” Henry said, smiling “It was nuts”

Even though Ray seemed unsure by his enthusiasm, he ended up asking about the place, and both Charlotte and him talked about the world, evidently sparing details about the other Ray dating other Henry issue. 

After speaking and getting relaxed, they decided it was best to come back home and sleep it off. At least, that’s what Charlotte and Henry told Ray and Schwoz they were going to do when they went home.

What actually happened, though, was that Henry called Charlotte on the phone, who was, funnily enough, already calling his number, looking to speak about everything that had happened. 

Henry remained with his eyes dry the whole conversation, but he didn't hurt any less.

“I just don’t know what to do” Henry said, playing with a tennis ball in one hand and holding the phone in the other “I feel like both options suck. If I don’t tell him, I won’t be able to move on, and If I do tell him, our relationship will never be the same.”

“Yeah… Wait, I’ve an idea. You should write a list of pros and cons with both options” Charlotte said, smartly, and Henry stopped playing with the ball. It was a good idea. He went to grab a paper. 

“Ok, I’m going to write the lists” Henry said “Keep me company?”

Charlotte nodded, but Henry had no way of knowing she did, so she told him she would.

“Anyway, I’m surprised that the other Henry is kinky” she said mindlessly, and Henry immediately stopped writing.

“What the… Why do you say that?” Henry continued writing, but blushed anyway.

“Come on, why do you think that Ray made that comment? The, you know “you’re used to rougher” one?” Charlotte laughed, a high pitched, hilarious sound.

“Oh Gosh” Henry blushed redder, if that was possible, and hid his face against the bed “I hadn’t realized. I totally thought he meant, like, fighting. But, in the context…”

“The context of him pressing you against the wall?” Henry sensed Charlotte’s smile through his mobile phone’s screen.

“Charlotte, shut up!” Henry shushed her, as equally embarrassed as paranoid “And you don’t have to be so graphic.”

Charlotte sighed.

“Well, you were when you told me what happened… But ok, ok, I’ll leave it be” Henry muttered a thank you, while continuing to write his list “Anyway, you think he’s big?”

Henry spit out actual spit, before blushing a deep shade of crimson, and then he put his phone as close to his face as he could, as if afraid people would hear if he didn’t.

“Charlotte!” Henry grimaced at the ridiculous tone of his voice, weak and high.

He just heard a long laugh at the end of the line, and empty noises as of someone who is hitting a bed. She probably found it so hilarious.

“Oh, Hen, don't you dare to shame me! I’m 100% sure you’ve thought about it, and definitely more than I have!”

Henry hid his face once again against the bed. At this point, he was going to burn the bed. His face was so hot.

“Yeah, well, alright, maybe” he admitted, laughing “Ok, let’s do something. Let’s say how big we think he is at the same time.”

“That’s creepy” Charlotte said “And funny. On the count of 5…”

Henry laughed while Charlotte counted down, feeling kinda embarrassed and kinda guilty, but in a good mood.

“2, 1…” Charlotte took a breath before they both spoke.

“7 inches!” 

“9 inches!”

“Oh my GOD Charlotte that’s so much!” Henry said immediately, starting to laugh more enthusiastically, and almost falling off the bed.

“I am SO sure Henry” Charlotte said instantly.

“A virgin is what you are, only virgins think so big” Henry answered, still laughing.

“Hey, you’re a virgin too!” Charlotte said, giggling “You’re totally thinking too small.”

“Why do you think he’s so big?” Henry asked, still writing on his list.

“His enormous ego” she answered, and after a beat, “His Captain Man pants look kinda tight too”

“Charlotte, you’ve looked?” Henry asked incredulously. He knew he had, but he had obvious reasons on why.

“I have looked respectfully” she answered honestly, and Henry choked a laugh.

And like this, Henry and Charlotte continued talking and laughing, and sharing their opinions and feelings. 

By the end of the conversation, Henry had finished writing the list, and wasn feeling less upset than before. He went to sleep without much hope for his crush, but feeling more positive than he had for a while.

He spent the next few days going to work normally, and resolving crimes with Captain Man as usual. He did get some looks from Charlotte when he spoke with Ray, like a reminder of the whole issue, but she promised not to pressure him. She understood it was a complicated subject.

Henry was trying to act normal with Ray, he hadn’t spoken more about the other universe until a particular day. He was sitting with Ray on the sofa in the Man Cave, both of them were alone and they were laughing, talking about Schwoz.

“Man, I don’t know if I’ve told you, but the Schwoz from the opposite universe had the most ridiculous look ever. Well, actually, you both did…” Henry accidentally let out a tad too much, considering he didn't really want to talk about the experience. 

“What do you mean?” Ray asked, well intended, and got slightly closer to Henry, turning a bit to face him comfortably.

“Well, yeah, Schwoz had a ridiculous mustache and beard, and this stupid little ponytail on his halfly bald head” Henry tried to sound nonchalant, but he felt as if he was walking on slippery ice “And you… Uh, that Ray had facial hair, too. His hair was a bit different, too. He, like, combed it with gel, I think”

Ray then smirked, trying to imagine his other self, and let out a quick laugh. He then put a hand on his chin, and smiled charmingly. Henry swallowed the lump in his throat, it came as quickly as he made it leave.

“Was he more handsome than me?” he asked, and his blue eyes were so childish, so playful, but Henry knew he still wanted an answer. He stared at him for a second too long, then looked away, massaging his neck nervously.

“You basically looked the same” Henry played safe, but he knew Ray would have none of it. His ego was too big for it.

“That’s not a “no”” Ray raised his brows, interested, and smiled widely. Henry rolled his eyes, gave himself more time to think, and tried to seem less interested than he really was.

“You care that much of what I think about your looks?” he asked, trying to sound playful, and not as shy as he actually felt.  
“Yeah, I do” he answered so honestly Henry was taken aback, and he raised his eyebrows, surprised “What? I care about your opinion, and trust your taste. Well, I especially do regarding this, since, you know.”

No, Henry didn’t know. He raised a brow, and put his hands together on the table in front of the sofa.

“Since…?” Henry cautiously smiled.

Ray rolled his eyes, as if Henry should’ve known, but because he didn’t answer, he smiled again.

“Since you’re so good looking, obviously” he answered, and, wow, ok, that wasn’t an “obvious” thing to Henry.

Henry’s eyes went wide, and he stared at Ray, half expecting the man to laugh in his face. But since he didn’t, the boy blushed.

“You think I’m cute?” Henry asked, as nonchalantly as he could. Because, no, this wasn’t making him feel butterflies in his stomach. Not at all.

“Henry, you’re gorgeous” Ray answered as if it was nothing and smiled, relaxed and confident. God, he didn’t even make it sound playful, he was serious about it “So, now that you know, tell me. That opposite universe Ray or me?”

Henry wasn’t sure when he’d stopped breathing, but he let out a noise when he ran out of air, and tried to dissimulate it as if he were lost deep in thought. “Gorgeous. He thinks you’re gorgeous” his brain wouldn’t stop repeating, and it was difficult to think, so he tried to focus. He asked you something, Henry. Answer honestly.

“Your hair… Is nicer. You pull it off better, too” Henry shrugged, and looked at the ground, afraid Ray would know what he was thinking if he raised his face “You’re way more charming.”

That seemed to do it for Ray, because he relaxed on his seat, and smiled dumbly, feeling satisfied. If there was the faintest of color on his cheeks, Henry didn’t notice.

“How ‘bout his personality?” he asked then, and looked at the wall behind Henry, like acting uninterested. Henry chuckled. “How was he?”

Henry then sighed, remembering the man. He was Ray, but he wasn't’ really Ray. His lips against his throat, his hands… Henry shuddered at the memory. That Ray's touch didn’t even completely feel like this Ray's.

“He was definitely scarier than you are” Henry chuckled, and intertwined his arms “Much more cynical, and he had a dangerous vibe. He was rougher, too.”

Ray’s ears perked up at that. He straightened up and looked at Henry.

“Rough? Did he hurt you?” he asked, suddenly filled with evident worry that made Henry feel dizzy “God, I knew something had happened. Is that why you've been acting so weird these days?”

“What? I haven’t been acting weird!” Henry got defensive, which didn’t help him, and he clenched his jaw, knowing he had to fix this or he would be forced to tell more than he wanted to “Look, he didn’t hurt me. Well, we did fight but…”

“I knew it!”

“He wasn’t rough that way!” Henry clamped his mouth shut immediately, and tried to fix his slip-up before Ray realized he even had one “It’s just he was so different from you. Grabbed you around and fought kinda hard. So, yeah, we did fight, but it was ok. He didn’t hurt me”

Ray seemed to relax at that, but was still cautious. When he put his hand on Henry’s shoulder, the younger’s stomach turned.

“You sure?” he asked, and Henry nodded. He hadn’t hurt him anyway. He just… Well. He just made him think. “Why have you been weird lately then?”

Ugh, Henry was never going to get a rest, was he? He hadn't thought Ray would notice it, but he was apparently wrong.

“Maybe I’m still a bit… Dumbstruck about the experience. I mean, it was weird seeing another you, an evil one at that. And, well, my family and friends, too” Henry said. It wasn’t a lie, but he wasn't being completely honest. He couldn’t be “Didn’t you feel weird with the other Charlotte, and the other me?”

Ray then, interestingly enough, seemed to get awkward. He started rubbing his leg, like thinking, and made a weird face. He looked unsure.

“If I’m being honest, yeah. It was a weird experience.”

“How was the other Henry?” Henry asked, and gosh, why hadn’t he thought of asking before? He had to know if the other Henry made any sort of comment that could possibly put him in danger.

“Actually, pretty much like you say the other Ray was like. Cynical, kinda scary. Different” Ray said, and looked quite uncomfortable. He rubbed his neck “But, creepy thing is that at first I didn’t even realize it wasn’t you.”

Henry listened attentively, and tried to imagine the experience.

“Like, he looked just like you. Had your same clothes, and… I don’t know, acted mostly the same” Ray explained, moving his hands around “You know, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you guys apart if it weren’t for the skinship.”

Henry almost choked with his spit. He turned to face his boss.

“S...Skinship? Wha… What do you mean?” he sounded as nervous as he felt, sadly.

“So, basically, this Henry was much more affectionate than you. Like, much more” Ray explained, and looked intently at the chair in front of the cameras “That’s how I was able to tell. You never hug me, but he did.”

“He did?” Henry asked, and giggled nervously “That’s weird. Um, maybe in his universe people are more affectionate.”

Ray laughed, unsure.

“Sure, you could say that.”

“Wait, why do you say that?” he asked, and flushed nervously “That Henry, well, hugged you and… That’s it, right?”

God Henry was really making this more awkward. Ray shifted in his chair and shrugged.

“Yeah” Ray answered, but because he wasn’t looking at Henry, the younger couldn’t tell if he was lying or not “Well, definitely wasn’t a rough creep like the other Ray.”

“I didn’t say he was a creep, Ray.”

“Sure.”

And that was that. Henry was able to get some information about the other Henry, and even some opinions Ray seemed to be very certain about. Unfortunately, the conversation raised more questions than gave answers for Henry, and left him with a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. He kept thinking about the other Ray’s words, or even Charlotte’s, and he still didn’t feel ready enough to tell his boss how he felt. Maybe he never would.

Maybe that was ok.

As days went on, everyone seemed to move past the weird experience, except for Henry, but he kept those thoughts to himself. Only Charlotte knew what the other Ray and Henry were, and what the other Ray had said, or advised him to do. He was planning on keeping it this way.

Things were not going forward nor backward. Henry tried to act as normal as always, hiding his feelings as he learned to do after all these years. And, yeah, maybe he felt a sharp pain in his heart when Ray talked about a “hot” person or an ex girlfriend, but he hid it as well enough, and let out his anger and frustration with the mean guys. Punching, kicking and groaning was enough for Henry to let all that annoyance and impotence out. He knew it wasn’t very viable, that probably someday he’d have to talk about it with someone, and let it out. These things were dangerous, and Henry didn’t want to explode suddenly one day. But he kept procrastinating a healthy coping mechanism, until it was too late.

It was a late night afternoon, and he was alone at home because his parents and sister had gone to a show she wanted to see. He had the house to himself, and was making good use of it. He danced around, sung, cooked, and even showered. When he got out of the shower, hair still wet and wavy, he thought he heard something move around, but decided it probably was the family of possums living in the trashcan on their porch. If they didn’t bother him, he wouldn’t bother them. 

Since the noise stopped rapidly, Henry ignored it and walked rapidly down the stairs, hungry after the hot shower. He was looking inside the fridge when he heard a voice, clear as day, behind him.

“You in love with someone, kid?” Henry jumped a feet in the air, and turned to find Ray looking back at him. He was smiling playfully, and held something in his hands. He couldn’t quite put the finger on what it was.

“What?! Ray?! You scared the hell out of me!” Henry said, still too shocked to process what Ray had said to him “What are you doing here?!”

“I came to talk about some plans Schwoz made this afternoon. Some superhero stuff” he said, but sounded slightly distraught. His weird smile didn’t falter.

“You also planned to kill me of a heart attack?” Henry knew he was exaggerating, but he did really scare him. Also, he wasn't wearing much clothing, he wasn’t ready to see anyone.

“No that was just a side effect of my plan” Ray rolled his eyes, as if Henry was being unreasonable “No, I thought your parents were home so I went through your bedroom’s window just in case. Heard you showering, but I guess you didn’t hear me, so I waited in your bedroom. Then you went down so I followed you”

Henry rolled his eyes and hugged himself, feeling a bit too vulnerable in front of Ray.

“Annoying, wasn’t it?” Henry kidded, light hearted, knowing how many times he’d gone through his window trying not to make any noise and avoiding his parents.

“Yeah, but well, thanks to that I found this” Ray waved a paper in his hand, and Henry didn’t recognize it “So, you’re in love, huh?”

Henry then realized what it was, and his eyes opened wide. Oh, no. Oh no. He swallowed a lump that instantly appeared in his throat, and took a step toward Ray. His legs shook.

“ ‘List of pros and cons’. Pros, he’s cute and funny. Cons, he’s stupidly dumb” Ray read out loud, and Henry was filled with dread “Pros, he’s affectionate. Cons, he’s too affectionate, considering I’ve the hots for him”

“Ray, give that back!” Henry said, his voice not as firm as he would’ve liked it to be, and his face so red it matched his t-shirt “Where did you even find it!”

“It was literally on sight. Oh, come on, Hen, it’s so juicy. Why didn’t you tell me you had a crush? I thought we told each other everything” Ray ignored his look, probably thinking Henry was just embarrassed “Ohh, it gets more interesting. Pros, he’s a great friend and (I think) would be a great boyfriend. Cons, he talks about other people he seems interested in”

Oh no, Henry thought to himself. He had to stop reading, or he would find out he was talking about him! Even if he stopped him now, it was possible he would be able to tell…

Henry ran up to him, and tried to rip the paper from his boss’s hand. Ray was quick enough to raise it, and looked at him like he was a cute, dumb dog who wanted a treat. 

Henry was so red his face felt hot and feverish, and his eyes were getting slightly watery, due to the embarrassment. He tried to get the paper back. but Ray was able to grab him and have him locked in a mockery of an embrace. Henry tried moving around and groaned, locked in place. He spoke loudly so Ray wasn’t able to keep reading.

“Ray, I’m serious! Stop! Reading!” he pleaded, a bit more childishly than he would’ve liked.

“Aw, don’t be embarrassed! You think I care that you like a boy? I’ve known you like boys for a while, you know that” he didn’t understand, thank God, at least not yet, but if he kept going… “Pros, if I tell him, I will have this weight off my shoulders. Cons, our relationship will change”

This was getting so bad. Henry feared he would start tearing up; this wasn’t supposed to go this way, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to tell Ray. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Henry looked around, looking for a way out, but there was nothing. He discovered, with morbid humour, that they were on the same spot where the other Ray and him had been in the other universe. In the same place where everything changed. Where that Ray said those things.

“Ray, please, please” Henry began begging, he wasn’t over that anymore. Ray didn’t even hear him, he was still reading.

“There’s no more pros, that’s negative thinking, dontcha think, Henry?” Ray’s hold lightened a bit, and Henry took advantage of it and escaped his hold, and walked back. He was panting, breathing hot and hard, and his face was red and glistened. His eyes shone, and he felt like a rubber band, being stretched and stretched, ready to break. 

“Ray, I swear to God, stop right now” Henry’s voice was shaky and high, but Ray wasn’t even looking at him. He was looking forward to finishing the list.

“Gosh, Henry, you know I don’t judge. Even if it’s Jasper, or whatever” Ray joked, then went on “Cons, he doesn't like me the way I like him. He doesn’t even see me that way. Well, you sound sure of yourself, that’s for sure. As for the last one…”

“RAY!” Henry pleaded one last time, desperately. 

The band stretched, and stretched, and Henry was so ashamed, embarrassed, and felt so guilty and terrible and like such a bad person.

“What’s wrong, kid?” Ray asked, just then realizing Henry's state, the way his wide eyes looked at him, shiny and slightly burrowed, his furrowed brow and shaky breath.

The rubber band was stretching. “What’s wrong, kid?” That's what the other Ray had said, too. “Used to me being all over you” Stretching. “We kinda do this often”. Stretching.

“Henry and I are a couple”

The rubber band broke. Henry’s eyes filled with tears, and he let out a sob he didn’t know he was holding. His brows arched in a way they reached his eyes, he felt indescribably upset and regretful, and his bottom lip quivered. His eyes went from looking at Ray’s to the paper. 

Ray, confused and now nervous and even regretful, glanced at what Henry was looking at. The last con. He opened his lips, and read.

“Last con: he’s a superhero, and I’m just a kid”

Watching Ray’s eyes go from confusion to understanding were the most terrifying few seconds of Henry’s life. His heart dropped when Ray’s face filled with shock, and he raised it to stare back at Henry.

Henry broke down. Everything he’d done in the past to avoid Ray from knowing his feelings, all those fake smiles when feeling jealous and upset, all those conversations holding himself from saying something out of place… All was out now. Ray knew his dirty, little secret. Knew how gross he’d been, how disappointing and out of place, how of a secretive, little brat he was.

Henry sobbed like he hadn’t since he was a little kid; shaking, trembling, and doing an effort not to open his mouth and gasp for air. He couldn’t see, because his eyes were filled with tears, but he was able to tell Ray dropped the paper. Or, it just fell, he didn’t know.

“Henry, I…” that was all Ray was able to say before Henry dropped to the floor to grab the paper and then jumped on his feet before running upstairs. 

He closed his bedroom door without care, maybe even damaging the frame, but he didn’t care. He sat on the floor, against the bed, put his head between his arms, and cried. He put his hands against his ears, afraid he would have to hear Ray try to say something on the other side of the door if he didn’t. He didn’t know if Ray actually came upstairs to look for him, or just left, too grossed out to try and talk to Henry. Henry just hid, closed his eyes, and teared up.

He was terrified of going out of his room and finding his boss, since he didn’t know when Ray left, but when it became morning and his parents came home, he knew he was safe. For now, at least. Henry knew he wouldn’t be able to look at Ray ever again, and it was most certainly the same for his boss. 

God, the other Ray was wrong. He should’ve kept it a secret, shouldn’t’ve even written the list, shouldn't even have told Charlotte. He should’ve kept it to himself until he eventually, inevitably, forgot about it.

Henry didn’t feel strong enough to go down to eat, and mentally thanked his little sister for bringing him food to his door. He knew his family must’ve been confused and a bit worried, but they thankfully left him alone, and didn’t pressure him to speak. He would never tell them what was wrong, of course, but they didn’t know that.

Henry spent a couple of days like that, not going out of his room, thinking too much, and, alright, maybe feeling sorry for himself. He ignored the calls from his job, thinking that at this point he was probably never going to go back to Junk N’ Stuff. If that thought made him cry again, no one needed to know.

He was in bed, trying to ignore the annoying “bleep” sound his watch was making, thinking it was probably Schwoz or Charlotte trying to get him to come to work again, when it became increasingly annoying, since it wouldn’t stop. His last little bit of patience disappeared, and he pressed, quite roughly, his watch.

“God, stop calling!” he practically yelled at the watch, and was ready to press the button again to finish the call, when Schwoz's figure appeared in the form of a holographic illusion, and his shaking body and upset expression made him stop on his tracks.

“Henry! Please, don’t hang up, it’s an emergency!” his accent was strong, which showed how nervous he was, and Henry stood up, suddenly worried. A real emergency? “Henry, you finally picked up! I’ve been calling for so long, you immature, irresponsible dumbass!”

“Shut up and tell me what’s up” Henry said immediately, not ready nor patient enough to get scolded “What’s the emergency?”

“Open the TV!” Schwoz then said, and Henry ignored the wrong use of his words to do what he was told. He turned on the small TV in his bedroom, and was met with a sight he didn’t quite understand at first.

It was Ray. Well, not Ray, but Captain Man. He was tied to a red, shiny structure on an obviously abandoned building’s wall, and next to him was Dr. Minyak. Captain Man looked as sure of himself as always, even if he was basically tied up with no way of getting out, and looked at the shaky camera, obviously being held by someone who wasn’t used to filming stuff.

“Citizens of Swell View, please do not panic, since I am very handsome and capable of getting out of here” he said, so charmingly and stupidly confident. Henry smiled on his insides, thinking that even in a situation like this he was able to remain calm.

“Silence! You won’t be so confident in a few minutes” Dr. Minyak smiled in a mean way, and turned around and out of the frame for a few seconds. When he came back, he had a bottle containing a red, weird and sparkly liquid 

“Citizens of Swell View! As you may know, I’m the supervillain Minyak, and my assistant, Nurse Cohort, is now my camerawoman. This is being recorded live, and shown in all TV’s in Swell View. This is all because I’m going to feed Captain here my handmade truth serum…”

He brought the bottle up close to the camera, and Nurse Cohort, behind it, chuckled. Henry made his hands fists, getting more and more worked up by the moment.

“And ask him to reveal his true identity” Henry immediately came closer to the TV, and in his face appeared worry lines “So that I can discover who he is, and you all can, too! The truth serum is powerful enough that no one can avoid saying the truth, so… Ready to tell the whole world who you are, Captain Man?”

Ray’s whole posture had changed because of the new information, his brow now furrowed, and his jaw clenched. He looked around him, trying to find a way to escape, but wasn’t able to. Dr. Minyak walked up to Ray, bottle in hand, and put it against his lips.

Ray was smart enough to keep his mouth completely shut, but then the villain grabbed his jaw, and started to force it down forcefully. Knowing there was no way to keep it shut, Ray opened it slightly to say one last thing.

“Kid…” he mustered out, and then Minyak was forcing his jaw open and making him swallow the truth serum.

Henry’s stomach clenched. He knew he was talking to him. Asking him, almost pleading him to come. He knew he was looking, but also knew he had been ignoring him all this time, and wasn’t sure Henry would actually come. His eyes, blue, big, scared, looking straight to the camera while he said that one word… 

“Now you understand the danger?!” Schwoz screamed from his watch, remembering Henry was still there “There’s no time to be upset, Henry! I do not know what happened with you and Ray, but you need to help him! He’s your boss, and he’s your friend!”

Henry bit his lip, nervously. He knew Schwoz was right. He didn’t have time to be angry, sad or upset with Ray. He had to help him.

“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right” Henry walked to one of the paintings in his room, and opened it to retrieve his gums. He began chewing one immediately “Can you triangulate their position?”

“I’m already on it” Schwoz answered immediately, writing on his keyboard as fast as ever “For the moment I can tell you the approximate coordinates, in some minutes I can tell you the building.”

Henry, now dressed as Kid Danger, jumped out of his house’s window and began running in the direction Schwoz had told him to go to.

“How long do you think I have?” Henry asked, panting and sweating, and still sprinting like his life depended on it. He realized there were some people looking at him from the windows. Children who told parents there was Kid Danger outside, and then all of them looking curiously, probably having watched the TV and knowing what was going on.

“A few minutes ago Dr. Minyak said the serum would take half an hour to set in” Schwoz answered, still on his keyboard, trying to find the building, and maybe even the floor they were in, which would be ideal.

Henry heard some voices coming from the homes he was running next to, but ignored them in order to look at the small map Schwoz had provided him with on his watch.

“How long has it been since he took it?” Henry asked, and heard someone call his name from the houses. He looked up to see a little girl waving from the window. She was jumping and saying something he couldn’t quite hear. When she opened the window, he realized she was simply calling his name.

“It’s been fifteen minutes, so that leaves you wit-” another person opened their window, and began screaming Kid Danger’s name too.

“With fifteen minutes left, I know basic maths Schwoz!” Henry answered, while other voices appeared.

“Hey! Don’t- What… What am I hearing? What are people saying, Kid?” Schwoz then asked, and Henry finally took the time to silence the watch and look around him.

Every single person living in the homes Henry was currently running next to had opened their windows, and they were all looking at him, and screaming at him. He took a second to know what they were saying. “Kid Danger!” “You can do it, Kid Danger!” “You’re the best, Kid!” “Save Captain Man, Kid Danger!” “We trust you!”

“You’re our hero, Kid Danger!”

They were all rooting for him. Henry looked around, and it was the whole street doing this. They were jumping around in their rooms, nervous, and screaming and trying to get Kid to run faster, to motivate him, to ensure his confidence. They loved him, they respected him, and they trusted he was going to save Captain Man. They knew he was going to be able to stop his secret from coming out. God knows the public must’ve felt conflicted. Wanting to know who Captain Man is, and yet knowing it was wrong. But then they saw Kid Danger, and knew what was the right thing. 

Henry felt his eyes get teary. But he didn’t have time to thank anyone, or even drop a single tear. The public had given him the strength he needed. The support he needed.

He wasn’t just a kid. He was a superhero. He was a superhero too.

So, even if he was panting, reddening from the effort, and getting tired, he pushed himself, and discovered he could do it. He was going to run, run so fast they couldn't catch him, and he would save his boss. His superhero. Ray.

Schwoz was soon able to tell him the building the villains were in, which made Henry so relieved he almost smiled, and even the floor they were in. Henry was only going to have to run 3 flights of stairs, and he would be met with Captain Man.

He was ready.

The building, abandoned, looked as he had expected. Dark, dirty, and had some graffitis here and there. The moment he stepped in, he heard Captain Man trying to bargain. He breathed in, relieved. The serum hadn’t still kicked in.

Henry ran up the flights of stairs, and entered the room kicking the door with so much strength it came off of the wall.

“I’m here, Captain Man!” he said, loud and clear as day, and was met with the expected sight.

Ray was tied to the wall, his arms pressed against his sides to avoid him from moving a single inch. Dr. Minyak’s assistant was still filming Ray, who tried to look as relaxed as possible, but Henry saw right through him. He was panicking, his eyes a bit too wide, and his smile a bit too shaky. His look changed immediately when he saw Henry, and looked so relieved Henry almost let out a breath. He never thought that, after what happened, Captain Man would look at him like that.

Dr. Minyak and Nurse Cohort gasped, probably thinking Henry wouldn’t arrive on time. Henry drew his laser stick from his pants, and pointed at the camera Nurse Cohort was holding. Before anyone could even say anything, the camera had already been shot, and was a broken mess on the floor.

“No!” the woman lamented, immediately, but Dr. Minyak didn’t seem especially distraught.

“It’s ok, just a few more minutes and we will know the truth anyways!” he said, not too bummed the public wouldn’t hear it either. Henry thought that, if he found out, he would probably make sure everyone knew about it anyway.

Henry started walking towards them, to beat them before the serum kicked in, but Dr. Minyak raised his hand, and yelled.

“Get him, boys!” he said, and the three men that had been close to the door, wore all black and wore tough expressions walked up to him “Entertain him while the serum kicks in!”

“Kid, be careful!” Captain Man yelled, looking worse than just a minute ago. The serum was definitely doing its thing, Henry feared.

Henry tried to run to immobilize the villains, but wasn’t able to go far before the three men all came to him, throwing punches and trying to grab him and keep him far enough from Captain Man. They threw his laser stick far from him so he couldn't use it. 

Two of the guys grabbed him by the arms, and the other punched him in the stomach once. Henry doubled down due to the pain, but then was able to turn himself around, and jumped once to kick one of the men as hard as he could, making him fall nastily. The other was able to catch his leg before he kicked him, and turned him around in the air, making him fall flat to the ground. The two men kneeled on the ground and grabbed his arms and pushed them against his back. Henry groaned, and moved around, but they were too strong.

They pressed against his body until his face was on the ground, and he closed his eyes. He felt impotent, like no he had no strength left, and grit his teeth. He had to… He had to…

“Kid, look at me!” Captain Man suddenly said, and both villains looked at him, weirded out, and still waiting for the serum, which had to be beginning to work, because the time was up “You can do it! Ok, kid? You can beat those guys' asses, you can defeat them! You’re a hero! You’re a hero, and I know you can do it!”

The men holding him chuckled, and stared at their other coworker, who was down, thinking the kid was able to take one of them out, but definitely not all of them. Henry looked at Ray, like he was told to do, and opened his mouth slightly.

“I’m not as strong as you are,” he said in a whisper, such an intimate and honest confession, everyone in the room quieted down.

“Kid” Ray said, and he shouldn’t have sounded so affectionate, so well intended, so good and sincere “You’ve always been stronger”

That was, by all means, all Henry needed to hear. He closed his eyes for a second, took Ray's words in, breathed, then threw his head back so hard against one of the man’s heads that he heard a crunch. The other guy, surprised, lightened his hold, which made Henry wiggle and turn around on the floor quickly enough that he threw his leg up and kicked the guy in the face as hard as he could.

“Minyak, I think the serum’s already made effect!” Nurse Cohort said, aware that Ray’s last words had been extremely truthful, and that he genuinely felt them.

“Get ready!” Dr. Minyak answered, which made the woman take a recording device she was keeping in her lab coat’s pocket. She turned it on, while also grabbing a notebook. Dr. Minyak rejoiced, confident he had won.

Henry began panicking, and therefore started going all out against the two guys. One of them threw a hard punch, but he managed to get away in time, and it threw the man off balance, so he grabbed his head and smashed it against his knee. The guy fell to the ground, K.O, but the other one was already behind Henry, and had lifted him up the floor.

“Captain Man, what’s your true identity?” Henry heard Dr. Minyak ask, and gasped, before starting to struggle in the man’s hold.

“Well” Ray said, as if he couldn’t stop himself from opening his mouth, and yet closed his lips. He was sweating and shaking, like he was making an enormous effort. He surely was. “That’s not an easy question. What do you mean by identity?”

Henry almost laughed. That was his boss! Always trying and trying. He had to, too, for him. 

Henry then used his heel to kick the man’s shin as hard as he could, which made him drop to the floor.

“Your identity! Who you really are! Answer me!” Dr. Minyak said, trying to hurry it. Captain Man was already red from the effort not to say the truth, and yet he still had one of his confident smiles on. God knows he was trying to look more chill than he really was.

“Who am I, you ask. Well, that’s another difficult question. There’s many layers to a person…” perfect, that’s just the time Henry needed!

Henry began to run in their direction, but the man still wasn’t down, and he grabbed his leg. He was able not to fall, but actually turn around, and stomp the man’s head. Now, now he really was down.

When he ran up to the three people, Ray was still getting his way out of the question, and looked at him briefly. He winked at him, and Henry smiled.

“Dr. Minyak, you’re over!” Henry said, a bit corny, and walked up to him. The man seemed angry, but didn't know how to fight, so he merely moved around when he grabbed his arm, and started escorting him out. He was only a few meters away from the door when a desperate voice behind him said…

“Your name! What’s your real name, Captain Man?” Nurse Cohort seemed to find a way to assure herself Ray couldn’t possibly say anything but the truth.

Henry turned away so fast he almost got whiplash, and was found with Ray making a worrying expression. He’d never seen him look like that. Like he knew what was coming, and it was unstoppable.

“No, Captain Man!” Henry yelled, but the serum was too effective.

“My… My name” Ray groaned, making one last effort to not speak “My name is…”

It all happened like in slow mo. Henry let go of Minyak’s arm, turned and began running up to Ray. Nurse Cohort was already smiling, as if she knew there was nothing Henry could do now, no way of getting out of this one. Henry didn’t even know what he was trying to do, he was just running up to Captain Man, because he had to get him out of this one, even if he couldn't figure out how.

He was at arm length now, and Captain Man was moving his lips, he was speaking, and oh God, Henry had to do something, anything.

“My name is R-” Henry arrived just in time, and before thinking about it, debating it, or literally trying to find any other possible way to make Ray shut up, he kissed him.

Henry kissed Ray. On the lips. To stop him from saying his name. And the funny thing is, it worked. Ray’s lips were against his, so he couldn’t talk, finish the phrase. 

Henry was barely holding on, he had arrived just barely, was almost losing his balance, just had his lips against Ray’s, one of his arms against the wall not to fall, and the other gripping his sleeve so tight, because he had almost fallen and he needed leverage.

When Henry drew back, he didn’t know what he was expecting, but he knew what he was met with. A very, genuinely surprised Ray, that, thank God, at least didn’t look extremely grossed out, a very, very loud silence in the room and two pairs of eyes looking at them -well, especially at Henry.

He turned around, not even sure about what he was going to do, and decided the last second to grab his light stick, forgotten on the ground.

“What?!” Minyak asked, genuinely shocked, and somehow offended that a kiss had been able to stop his plan.

“Awww!” that was Nurse Cohort, and Henry didn’t know if her support was made him feel better or worse.

He wasn’t able to find out, because he shot them with the laser as quickly as he could, and they dropped to the floor, totally passed out.

Henry was panting, because of the running, fighting, and lastly, all the emotions, and when he turned around again to face Ray, he didn’t expect to find him so close. 

Well, the man couldn’t move, and he had just kissed him, so it was to be expected. Henry immediately drew back, stepping away. He stared straight at Ray, firstly as surprised as his boss, and then all the weight of all that had happened came onto him, and... God, Henry was an idiot. Kissing him, even if it was to save him, had been the worst, most awkward thing he could’ve done. Now there really wasn’t no way to fix to their relationship.

“Oh, no… Oh no, oh no” Henry began whispering, more to himself than to his boss, and he got teary “I’m so, so sorry Ray”

“Henry” Ray spoke, and Henry wished he didn’t sound so relaxed, so tranquil, so that he got mad, and just told him to get out, and never come again.

“I’m so sorry, I swear. I just wanted you to shut up, I didn’t- I didn’t think about it, I’m truly sorry” Henry was being extremely honest, he guessed fue to the nervousness “I’ve wanted to kiss you for years, but I didn’t think of this as that kind of kiss, I swear.”

Oh, God, why was Henry saying all that? He wanted to be honest, yes, but not to this extent!

“I didn’t want to say that! I mean, it’s true, but, ugh! What’s up with…” he blushed, because he knew he couldn’t screw this up even worse. He didn’t even want to look at Ray, even if he knew he had to get him out of here.

He decided to shut up, and used his laser to cut the red steel tubes restraining Ray's arms. 

“Henry, look at me” Ray asked, and, God, why did he always have to make it so hard? Henry looked at him. His eyes were calm, sweet. His smile was small, but it was there.

“I swear I didn’t mean to do that. Or say all those… Things. I didn’t want to say all that” Henry said, still as sincerely. One of the steel tubes was off. He moved to the other one.

“I know. It’s the serum” Ray explained, and Henry looked up, confused. Ray’s smile was a bit wider, but his eyes and eyebrows were as calm as ever “The kiss. We’re both suffering from the effects of the truth serum.”

Henry blushed and nodded slowly. He knew Ray was probably right, which meant he had to shut up before he said something he regretted.

“Yeah, it’s definitely that.” Henry agreed, and finally the other steel tube fell to the floor. Ray then took a step forward, and stretched his arms a bit, probably hurt.

“Henry, I need to talk to you” Ray said then, and Henry wished he could make himself disappear “Now.”

“No, not now, Ray, please. We- we are being completely honest, against our will.” Henry said, and looked at Captain Man pleadingly “We can’t say anything but the truth.”

“Exactly” Ray nodded, and stared so deeply at Henry he got chills. Few times Ray was serious, but this time it was different. He had never seen this side of him.

“But that’s the problem! We can’t speak, if we do, I won’t be able not to tell you that…” Ray cut off Henry’s voice, and the three words he said turned Henry’s world upside down, changed everything so quickly it left him dizzy.

“I love you.” Ray said, and Henry looked up at him immediately. His eyes, blue, were shining, almost artificially, as if it was the serum doing its work… But it was just him. Just Ray. Just Ray being completely honest. 

Honest?

“Wh...What?” Henry asked, breathless. He felt like he was in a dream, like one of those he had long before all of this went down.

“I love you, Henry” he repeated, and then put one of his hands on his neck. He was so careful, so soft, as if he feared hurting him. “I do. I have for a while.”

“What are you talking about?” Henry asked, his voice soft, and unsure, as if he didn’t know if he was hearing right. He needed details, he needed to know he wasn’t dreaming. 

But he had to be. This couldn’t be true.

“When you were a kid, I used to think you were, like, the best buddy ever. So bubbly and energized. So sincere. You were cute, and funny, but of course, you were just a kid, I couldn’t think of you in any other way. Then I guess you grew up” Ray smiled faintly, chuckled to himself, and got a bit closer to Henry, just barely an inch “And then you weren’t so immature anymore, so childish. You were confident, smart, cool. You knew what you wanted, and it was hard to see you like a kid, because you stopped being one. And I hated myself, hated myself for thinking about you that way, but I couldn’t help it. Not when you came around, and brought food, or a movie, or anything you knew I would like, and the way you smiled and laughed when we spoke, and how courageous and strong you were when fighting against evil guys. How brave, even when there were so many reasons for being afraid. So trustworthy, so much I put my life in your hands. You were...”

Ray closed his eyes for a moment, as if his feelings were about to burst, as if his heart was too full, like it was all too much.

“You were everything.” Ray smiled, softly, tentatively “You were everything I could ever dream of, and longed for you so much, and wanted you so badly.”

Henry’s eyes were wet, that was for sure. His brows were furrowed, he was listening, attentively, dying to believe what he was hearing.

“But I couldn’t do that to you. You had to be with girls or boys your age, grow up, realize I wasn't the only thing in the world. And, honestly, lately, I had thought that maybe you looked at me the way I looked at you. Maybe you felt but of a tiny part of what I felt for you. But I knew it was impossible, were it be the miraculous case you thought of me the way I thought of you” he explained, and then breathed out “Then the opposite universe situation happened, and, well. Let’s say I haven’t been completely honest.”

“What’s up with the opposite universe?” Henry managed to ask.

“Well, I did tell you the other Henry was… Touchier than you. But I didn’t tell you how much. When he first came, he hugged me, and then sat on me on the Man Cave’s chair. At first I thought he was you, and you were… I don’t know, in a friendly mood. But then he started kissing my neck, and I realized that it wasn’t you. Later I found out about the universe thing.”

Henry’s eyes opened wide, and he opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t know what to say.

“You… You knew that we were a couple in that universe!” Henry realized, and Ray nodded, smiling apologetically.

“Yeah. That Henry told me about it and… I guess everything changed then. I thought that maybe we… You know. Maybe it wasn’t impossible. Maybe we had a chance. Maybe all wasn’t lost. Maybe now it was worth trying everything I could. It made me feel both hopeful and impotent, because I was jealous about what they had, and we… As I told you, I thought maybe there was a possibility you were interested in me, but I wasn’t sure at all.”

“Yeah, and then the stupid list came” Henry said, regretful and upset about that still.

“Yeah, it did” Ray seemed regretful, and his face fell “I’m sorry, Henry. When I started reading it I was jealous and upset, thinking it was about one of your friends or something, but when I realized it was about me… God, kid. I’m sorry I ruined your chances to say how you felt.”

“Well, not exactly ruined. I can still tell you, I can finally express everything I’ve been holding down” Henry looked down, face pink “And, Ray, if I’m being honest, I don’t know if I would’ve ever told you. If it weren’t for the list, you might’ve never known. And, sincerely… If it weren’t because this was an emergency, I would’ve probably avoided you forever.”

Ray chuckled, and shook his head. 

“Yeah, I know. When you ran to your room I tried to talk to you for hours. And when I left I tried calling you. But you were -understandably- upset. God, I was thinking that, if you were to accept my call, I would just yell “I love you!” before you were able to hang up.”

Henry laughed, and felt a bit lighter on the inside. Like there was nothing holding him down anymore, no excessive thinking before speaking, sleepless nights mourning for something that could not be. Now that everything was out… God. His heart felt so full, so warm and indistingably relieved. He couldn’t believe his boss didn’t only not hate him after all this, but actually… Loved him. Had loved him all along. 

Had actually been in love with him. It was like a dream, one so good and emotionally relieving he didn’t want to wake up. He was afraid he’d suddenly blink and appear in his bed, and realize it wasn’t true. That idea made him shiver.

“I’m so scared this isn’t real” Henry said, honestly, because the truth serum wouldn't let him do otherwise. “I’m so afraid I’m dreaming, and I’ll wake up, and you won’t be there.”

“I’m here. I’ll always be here, Henry.” Ray whispered, and his voice was deeper, meaningful. Henry’s eyes wouldn’t leave Ray’s. “Can I prove to you that this is real?”

“...Please” Henry nodded, and closed his eyes when Ray’s hand, on his cheek, began caressing him again.

Even if he could sort of tell it was coming, when Ray’s lips met his, it was like a shock. His lips were warm, soft, and so perfectly comfortable. Ray’s other hand found Henry’s waist, and squeezed it, so that Henry and him were perfectly pressed against each other. Henry slowly brought his arms up, and hugged Ray’s shoulders, also pressing against his nape so that he was as close as possible.

It was as much of a kiss as it was of a hug, and it was so comforting, romantic and freeing as Henry thought it would be. Ray moved his lips against Henry’s very slowly, marking a rhythm that was terribly romantic, it was almost too much to handle.

When their mouths parted, they were still so close together their breaths mixed, and the smell of cologne and shampoo danced together.

“Can you tell it’s not a dream now?” Ray whispered against Henry’s lips, and the younger smiled briefly.

“Yeah” Henry nodded, and they both smiled before kissing once again.

“Uh, I’m thinking we should tell Swellview we’re fine. And call the police on these guys” Ray pointed at the passed out people on the floor, and Henry nodded.

“Superhero stuff.” Henry joked.

“Yeah, superhero stuff.” Ray agreed.

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, so, what a ride, huh?
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Please comment!


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